Film And Video

[kaiweiler]

Hey I have a project for a film and video class, and i have to make a movie? any ideas on what it could be about? I haveno idea, so anything would be good

Kai

[Yogi]

Anything.

[fugley]

Originally posted by kaiweiler@5 February 2004 - 19:37
Hey I have a project for a film and video class, and i have to make a movie? any ideas on what it could be about? I haveno idea, so anything would be good

Kai

A day in the life of Mr Fugley.

[Emdee]

Make something supernatural. Supernatural amateur movies are always impressive.

[bujub22]

horrors are easy too! lil corn syrup wid red dye... small plot and u good to go

[Mr. Mulder]

It should be about biscuits.

[Emdee]

Originally posted by Arcadia@5 February 2004 - 19:44
It should be about biscuits.

Supernatural biscuits!

[Mr. Mulder]

Scooby biscuits

[Yogi]

Originally posted by Captain Mung+5 February 2004 - 21:45--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Captain Mung @ 5 February 2004 - 21:45)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Arcadia@5 February 2004 - 19:44
It should be about biscuits.

Supernatural biscuits&#33; [/b][/quote]
Supernatural Biscuits.

Brisbane is the capital of Queensland Australia. During the 1950s it was far from a cosmopolitan city. Because of that cultural isolation, I was past childhood before I even heard of Halloween. Consequently I never seriously considered the celebration of Halloween until recently.

Perhaps that is a good thing. At least, it let me look at the festivities without any preconceptions. In doing so, I&#39;ve become inclined to agree with the school that sees Halloween as a secular event. From my current perspective, it has far more to do with the common wealth than it ever did with personal salvation or the lack thereof. Plus, I think it makes a better story.

At this point the traditional approach often includes some facts about Celtic festivals in the 5th century BC. Instead, let&#39;s avoid a European bias and remind ourselves instead of the cultivation of pumpkins in Central America and the evidence for pumpkin crops in Mexico during the 55th century BC.

In particular, let&#39;s look at the way in which the turnip of the old-world has been replaced by the pumpkin from the new < place a turnip and a pumpkin on display >. The Irish immigrants brought jack-o&#39;-lantern to America. Legend has it that Jack was a stingy drunken character who conned the Devil into climbing an apple tree for its fruit < hold an apple high and then place on display >. Jack then cut the sign of the cross into that tree and thus trapped the Devil above ground.

To gain his freedom free the Devil had to promise Jack that he would never come after his soul. Regardless of the deal, Jack eventually died and made his way to Heaven. Now, Heaven wouldn&#39;t take him because he was so stingy and mean.

Jacks&#39; next bright idea was to try to get into Hell. Because of the Devil&#39;s deal, Hell wouldn&#39;t take him either. That left Jack at Hell&#39;s Gates with nowhere to go but from back to where he had just come. Because the Devil never wanted to see him again, he tossed Jack a piece of Hellfire < throw a piece of simulated hellfire > to light his way in the darkness.

Jack was eating a turnip at the time and he placed the burning coal inside and made a lantern to guide him in his search for Heaven or somewhere he could rest < make the jack-o&#39;-lantern >.

Those same Irish immigrants who arrived in America found the pumpkin to be much more suitable as a jack-o&#39;-lantern. That isn&#39;t surprising. Because America is the pumpkin&#39;s natural home, pumpkins and squash are plentiful and easily available.

That abundance provides the practical basis for the pumpkin&#39;s central place in the celebration of Halloween. The symbolic interpretation is on two levels. The first is trivial and reflects the constant search for enlightenment and redemption in a dark and seemingly supernatural world.

The second is far less trivial. It was the hard-won discovery of agriculture that created a practical solution to the ancient problem of death and starvation during winter. That is why the jack-o&#39;-lantern also symbolizes Humanity&#39;s successful journey from famine to plenty through the application of agriculture. Halloween acts as a yearly reminder of the both the problem and its solution in the hope we&#39;ll never forget either.

Just as its always good to replace the supernatural with the natural, lets finish up by looking exclusively at the pumpkin and not the ghosts, ghouls and graveyards.

The origin of the word pumpkin comes from the Greek "pepon" for a large melon. The Massachuset Indians cultivated squash and pumpkins, which they called &#39;Askutasquash&#39;. The literal translation means &#39;eaten raw&#39;. Considering that we cook ours makes an interesting point of contrast between the two civilizations.

Pumpkin is a fruit with no cholesterol. It is low in fat and high in vitamins, particularly beta-carotene and vitamin A. Pumpkin is used to make pies. It is served roasted and hot, and mashed and hot. It is served hot and cold as soup. It is used in oils and even made into wine < produce a bottle of each and clink bottles before adding to display >. If you are looking for a new Halloween recipe, then I&#39;d like to recommend the Australian tradition of pumpkin scones, or biscuits as the say in these parts.

You might like to try them as a Halloween warm up for the main event of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. Australia&#39;s favorite pumpkin is the Queensland Blue. It is a very large butternut squash with a bluish-green skin. The recipe for pumpkin biscuits that I&#39;m handing out (see the next page of this document) has butternut squash substituted for Queensland Blue.

My way of looking at Halloween may not be perfect for everyone, but it is an easy argument to present and it almost speaks for itself. I also think it does make a good story.

Bon Appetite.



Yogi

[Yogi]

Evaluation on Supernatural Biscuits

There is probably a good "Halloween" speech within the current version of "Pumpkin Biscuits." Because I think this is indeed the case I&#39;ve decided it might be instructive to publish the first draft and watch the work as it progresses over the next few years.

A running commentary, and ongoing evaluation, should make the exercise even more worthwhile than a simple progression series. While it is true that this evaluation is written on my own work, the original evaluation is by an experienced Toastmaster who prefers anonymity.

There were a few obvious flaws in this version of the speech. Firstly there was too much detail and too many facts. By their nature, written articles allow a reader time to consider and the opportunity to reread factual segments. Speeches do not provide audiences with similar luxuries.

The story of the jack-o&#39;-lantern with its turnips, pumpkins, and simulated hellfire was well done and enjoyed by everyone in attendance at the meeting. It should remain as part of any future draft of "Pumpkin Biscuits." The props (turnip, pumpkin, apple, hellfire, etc.) should also remain in the speech.

Another point to remember when you are writing a speech is that your audience will only carry one, two, or at most three points away from the speech itself. When you are writing your speeches, it helps to imagine a reporter interviewing someone in the audience as they leave the event. If that reporter were to ask, "What was the speech about?" then you need to ask yourself what you would like the interviewee to answer.

In "Pumpkin Biscuits" my preferred sound bight would have been along the lines, "Halloween is just a harvest festival. Its celebration reminds humanity of the starvation and death that once occurred before agriculture ensured secure food supplies over winter."

The second sound bight would be, "Pumpkins are an under-appreciated food resource and pumpkin biscuits are worth trying because they are delicious."

Lastly, the third sound bight would be, "The jack-o&#39;-lantern was once an extremely practical and common source of light in rural Europe." Unfortunately, because of the abundance of facts and my lack of familiarity with the "Imagine a reporter…" technique, neither point one, two, or three is clearly presented in the speech&#39;s current draft.

Never throw away a speech you have worked hard to create. File it somewhere and redraft it next time you need it. Keep the good parts and add more. Eventually you&#39;ll have a yet another good speech in your library.